The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by moogsthewriter
Summary: What was supposed to be a pleasant Christmas Eve with family and friends suddenly turns to one of terror and uncertainty for the turtles. Will they make it through this Christmas together? Or will one fall? Rated for mild violence. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary: What was supposed to be a pleasant Christmas Eve with family and friends suddenly turns to one of terror and uncertainty for the turtles. Will they make it through this Christmas together? Or will one fall? Mikey centric (as usual)**_

_A/N: Alrighty dighty, people, I'm back in the world of TMNT! Sorry for my long absence... I've started writing _Psych_ fanfiction, and that combined with an all-around busy life has pretty much sucked up my time. For those of you who are (hopefully) still waiting for an update on _To Err Is to Be Human,_ I'm sorry to say I do not have an update ready, but I can say it has not been forgotten. It's on a brief hiatus, but hopefully it will not be for much longer! _

_So, in the spirit of Christmas, and after rewatching "The Christmas Aliens" episode, I've come up with this little story. At the moment, I'm only planning for it to be about three chapters long or so... if anything, it will be a little longer. _

_This story is currently running unbeta'd (sorry, mav, just had to post it!) so any mistakes are my own. Enjoy!_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT or the rights to the songs "Let It Snow", "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" or "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas". I also don't own to the rights to the song which the title comes from ("It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"). _**

_Oh, the weather outside is frightful,  
__But the fire is so delightful.  
__And since we've no place to go,  
__Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow._

"Mikey, I swear, if you don't turn down that dang radio, I will take a hockey stick to it!"

"Don't knock the classics, Casey!"

"If I want classics, I'll listen to Queen or the Rolling Stones, or even the Beatles, but not this crap, thank you very much."

"Boys, pipe down, already! Mikey, pass me the vanilla, would you? This caramel's almost ready."

"Sure thing, Ape," Mikey replied, reaching over and grabbing the bottle next to his mixing bowl.

"Thanks," the redhead replied, taking the bottle from the orange-clad turtle with a smile. "How are the Christmas cookies coming?"

"Good - finally got them all mixed. It's a pain in the butt mixing a double batch of dough, but it'll be worth it - if I didn't, there'd be mad fights over the cookies between me and my bros. The guys will probably be here in time to snag a few from the first batch out of the oven. I don't ever remember a Christmas where Raph and Leo didn't burn their tongues on hot cookies."

"You made a double batch? But I thought Splinter and Don were already making a batch back at the lair!" April exclaimed in surprise, taking her batch of caramel off the stove as the electric candy thermometer beeped.

Mikey grinned, itching his beak with the back of his hand. "That's the point. This way there should be enough to last until dinner."

April laughed. "Good thing you're here to help, or I'd never be able to make enough food for tonight. Oh, here," she added, reaching over to wipe the streak of flour Mikey's white hand had left on his beak.

"Thanks. And it's my pleasure, Ape. No offense to Donnie, but your kitchen appliances are actually reliable," Mikey replied, filling a cookie press with some of the dough.

"Don't worry, Mikey, I'm sure he'll have the kitchen fixed up soon enough," April consoled, pouring the caramel into a large pan.

"I hope so," Mikey declared fervently, turning to the older woman, a wooden spoon in his hand. "If I have to hear Raph complain one more time about something being burnt-"

"Whoa, cookie dough at three o'clock!" Casey suddenly exclaimed, reaching up to wipe off a small amount of batter that had landed on his cheek. Mikey blushed and dropped the spoon back into the bowl. "Ya need to watch your aim, bud," Casey declared with a smirk before sticking his dough-covered finger in his mouth. His eyes lit up and he smiled. "But you've definitely got cookie makin' down pat. Any chance I can snag some more dough?"

"Not unless you want to explain to Raph why the last cookie that should be his is in your stomach," Mikey warned, the cookie press clicking loudly as he started putting cookies on the baking sheet.

"Get back to stringing popcorn, Jones," April added sternly, thrusting her finger back in the direction of the living room. Mikey struggled to hide a snort at the dumbstruck look on Casey's face.

"But babe, I can't hardly move my fingers any more!" the man whined, holding up his hands, revealing numerous bandages on his fingers.

Both Mikey and April snickered. "Fine. Start hanging the lights. And don't call me 'babe'," April ordered, a smile playing at her lips.

"Sure thing… babe!" Casey laughed, jogging back into the living room.

"Casey Jones!" April called angrily, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her thin waist and striding forcefully after him. Mikey chuckled and shook his head, placing the tray of cookies into the oven, humming along with the last few bars of the song on the radio.

_It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  
__Toys in every store.  
__But the prettiest sight to see  
__Is the holly that will be  
__On your own front door.  
__Sure it's Christmas once more._

"Is this where you wanted them, babe?"

"No, put them around the window."

"Babe, who's gonna see them in this window? This one faces the alley!"

"Not that window! That one over there!"

Mikey laughed again as he moved to grab a clean bowl from one of the cupboards. He smiled as the song on the radio changed, and turned it up, although not loud enough to drown out the loud conversation coming in from the living room. After listening for a little bit, he started belting out the lyrics along with the singer.

_Have a holly, jolly Christmas,  
And when you walk down the street  
Say hello to friends you know  
And everyone you meet. _

Oh, ho, the mistletoe  
Hung where you can see,  
Somebody waits for you  
Kiss her once for me.  


"Ha, ha, very funny, Mikey!" April called. "Don't make any wise remarks, Jones."

"Don't you have some mistletoe around, babe? Ya gotta have mistletoe at Christmas."

Mikey grinned when he heard April laughing nervously. He stepped out into the living room and saw the couple staring at each other. Mikey coughed loudly, causing the pair to jump and whirl to face him. The turtle bit back a laugh when he saw something green drop from April's hand.

"I'm gonna head over to the store - I need more powdered sugar for the cookie icing," he calmly declared, pulling on his snow pants draped over an armchair. "Ape, you're gonna have to pull the first batch out of the oven. And try not to be surprised when Raph and Leo appear out of nowhere - they have a sixth sense when it comes to sugar cookies. And Don's not much better."

"Mikey, there's another bag in the pantry," April said, puzzled. "You have plenty of sugar."

"Trust me - we'll need more," Mikey answered with a grin, pulling on his coat and scarf. "Don't worry, I won't be gone long - twenty minutes, max. Don't you two lovebirds kill each other now!" he called cheerfully heading for the door as he pulled on his hat and mittens. He winked as Casey gave him a thumbs-up behind April's back. "See ya in a few!"

"You better be quick, Michelangelo! I don't want to hold off your brothers and Casey all by myself!" April called as he swung the door shut.

Mikey laughed as he bounded down the stairs. He wove his way through the numerous antiques sprawled out in April's shop as he made his way to the door that led to the alley. He closed the door firmly behind him and shivered slightly, tightening the scarf around his face and pulling his hat low so only his eyes were visible. He squinted upwards, fat snowflakes falling into his eyes. "I love Christmas," he sighed, heading towards the sidewalk.

The street was relatively empty since it was Christmas Eve, and Mikey made it to the small grocery store two blocks away from April's shop in only a few minutes. He casually strolled through, pausing at the comic stand to peruse the latest selection. "I've already read all of these," he moped quietly, heading towards the baking aisle. He quickly grabbed a truly unneeded bag of powdered sugar off the shelf.

"Case so owes me big for this," he muttered, smirking under his scarf as he made his way to the registers. "Hope he realizes that was his Christmas gift from me."

"How are you tonight, sir?" the cashier asked kindly, her blue eyes sparkling. Her blond hair was flecked with gray, and the wrinkles around her eyes reflected her smiling nature.

"Just great, thanks. Just had to run and grab some sugar for the icing for the Christmas cookies - my brothers would kill me if we ran out of icing before they could lick the bowl," Mikey replied, handing her a few bills.

The woman laughed as she counted out his change. "Oh, my, yes, that would be terrible crime, wouldn't it?" she asked humorously, handing Mikey a small paper sack with the bag of powdered sugar.

"How about you? Working on Christmas Eve?" Mikey asked, loosely clenching the handles of the sack in his gloved hand.

The woman nodded. "I don't mind - my husband and I own this store. We always work Christmas Eve so our employees don't have to. And it gives us the opportunity to take all the money and food we raised for the homeless shelter over there after we close," she added, pointing over to a gigantic bin filled with food, and a money box next to it.

"That's awesome!" Mikey declared, his tone belaying his smile hidden under his scarf. "Well, I'd better get going before my bros eat all the cookies without me. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you, too! Thanks for coming in!" she called.

Mikey paused by the donation bin, then dug into his pockets for the change and dumped it all into the box. "Heh," he murmured, looking at the nearly overflowing box. "It's nice to help people without having to knock others out."

He moved through the automatic sliding door, but paused when he heard an all-too-familiar _click_ behind him. "Alright, lady - give me-"

The gruff voice was cut off as the door slid shut, but the ninja had heard enough. Mikey bent down, appearing as if he was re-lacing his boot, and peered under his arm. Through the slightly fogged glass, he could see the store owner standing with her hands raised, a look of terror on her slightly wrinkled face as she stared down the barrel of a gun.

"Guess I spoke too soon," Mikey growled, digging into his other pocket. He pulled out a shuriken and used it to open the bag of powdered sugar. Then he tucked the shuriken back into his pocket and stood straight. He turned around and strode back through the door, purposefully looking around, although he saw the gunman whirl out of the corner of his eye. "I almost forgot food coloring! Can't have cookies without-"

"Don't move!" the thug barked, and Mikey brought his gaze down to the gunman. The gun was now leveled at his chest, and although it made him rather nervous, it was better than having it pointed at the woman.

"Whoa, easy, dude," Mikey exclaimed, holding the sack in front of him protectively. "Just take it easy."

"Get over here. Next to Granny. No sudden movements," the thief barked, waving his gun jerkily towards the store owner, who harrumphed at being called a "granny" but wisely kept silent.

"Okay. Okay - just take it easy," Mikey said soothingly, slowly easing his way over to the register, still loosely gripping the paper sack.

The gunman stared at them with wide eyes, pulling a walkie-talkie out of his coat pocket. "Alright, guys, c'mon in," he growled into it.

"Where's your husband?" Mikey whispered to the woman as five more men streamed in through the door, each armed with large guns.

"In the stockroom," she murmured, her voice laced with fear. "He won't be coming out for awhile."

"Good. I'm Mikey."

The woman blinked, looking up at his eyes. "Amanda," she murmured back, the faintest of a smile pulling at her lips.

"Nice to meet you, Amanda. When I say 'down', duck down behind-"

"Stop talking!" the first gunman barked as the rest of the crew broke open the register and the cash donation box by the door and started stuffing the cash into duffel bags. Mikey and Amanda immediately straightened up.

The sack in Mikey's hands crinkled as his grip tightened reflexively, and a small puff of the powdered sugar shot out from the opening. Mikey winced inwardly as the thug's eyes narrowed. "What's in the sack?" he demanded.

"Powdered sugar. The bag must be open or something. Here, you can look if you want," Mikey offered, tipping the sack slowly forward, trying his best to keep his voice relaxed, even as his body tensed slightly. The thug eyed him skeptically, then leaned forward to peer inside.

"Down!" Mikey suddenly shouted, thrusting his arms forward. Amanda immediately dropped down as sugar seemed to explode from the sack, causing the gunman to shout in surprise as the sweet powder landed in his eyes.

The other thugs whirled as Mikey dropped the sack and leapt over the counter, knocking the gunman down with a swift kick to the jaw. "Get 'im!" one of the others shouted, raising his weapon. The others followed suit.

_Oh, crud,_ muttered Mikey's inner Raph.

Bursts of gunfire echoed throughout the store as the five weapons released a deadly barrage. Mikey leapt high into the air and flipped, dodging the deadly slugs as he moved towards the nearest pair of thugs, Amanda's scream echoing in his ears. With a quick roundhouse kick, both were down for the count.

Immediately Mikey moved again, snagging a can of soup from a nearby display and tossing it at a third gunman. The can flew true, smacking into the man's forehead dead on, and he dropped to the ground, a few bullets flying into the ceiling. Two cans later, the remainder of the gunmen were on their knees, clutching at their heads and moaning. Mikey smirked, readjusting his scarf slightly as he stared at the soup display. "Clam chowder - good thing it's a heavy soup," he quipped.

Mikey's head shot around when he heard a faint gasp. Amanda had raised her head slightly over the counter and was staring at Mikey in wide-eyed disbelief. The ninja swiftly moved forward. "Are you-"

Suddenly there was a thunderous _bang_, and Mikey dimly felt something slam into his upper body, causing him to stumble and fall backwards to the ground. Amanda clapped a hand to her mouth in horror as silence descended over the store.

For a long moment, no one moved. Mikey blinked slowly, moving his right hand up to his left shoulder, looking from the dark hole in it to the first gunman, who was staring at him in disbelief.

Then time sped up again. Mikey became aware of a fiery pain racing across his body, originating at his shoulder as the other gunmen scrambled to their feet. "Come on, we've got the dough - let's get out of here!" one exclaimed frantically, snagging the duffel bag at his feet and scrambling out the door. The others quickly followed suit.

"Amanda? Amanda!" a male voice frantically screamed as the last of the thugs disappeared out the door.

"Ed!" the woman screamed, standing up and whirling around as a man appeared from behind one of the shelves. His glasses were askew, his dark eyes filled with panic.

"I heard gunshots - babe, are you alright?" Ed demanded, rushing forward and gathering his wife in his arms.

"Yes, dear, thanks to Mikey," Amanda replied tearfully, turning to face the ninja, who was slowly getting to his feet, a gloved hand still tightly pressed to his shoulder. Her eyes widened, and she pulled out of Ed's grasp to rush forward. "Quick, honey, call 911 - he's been shot!"

"I'll be fine," Mikey replied tensely, moving to the door. "But do call the cops!"

"But where are you going?" Amanda asked, grabbing at his arm.

Mikey paused and turned. "I've gotta go after those guys!"

"No, you don't - it's not worth getting yourself killed, son!" Ed replied firmly.

"I'll be fine, I promise," Mikey assured them, heading back for the door. He paused, then patted down his pockets and groaned. "Of all the days for me to not have my cell…" He trailed off as he felt a small object in his coat. "Sure hope Don realizes I took a tracker," he declared, taking off again.

He whirled when he heard tires squealing and saw the gunmen scrambling into a truck as it pulled away from the curve. Mikey let his hand fall from his shoulder, doing his best to block out the pain and the feeling of wetness spreading across his coat, and broke into a sprint. The van fishtailed as it pulled away, and the driver slowed slightly to get more traction.

It was the hesitation the turtle needed. He leapt up and landed in the bed of the truck, wincing as he landed on a bunch of junk. He quickly shoved some of it aside and grabbed a nearby tarp, pulling it over himself to hide.

As the truck sped around several turns, Mikey brought his bloodied glove back up to his shoulder. A large crimson stain had already darkened a good portion of his orange jacket. He grit his teeth as pain flared from the wound. "This is the last time I do Casey any favors."

_A/N: There you have it! First chapter down! As always, feedback is appreciated and greatly encouraged (it really does speed up the writing process). Thanks for reading!_

_Merry Christmas! (And Happy Holidays to those who celebrate other holidays!)_

_moogsthewriter_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Summary: What was supposed to be a pleasant Christmas Eve with family and friends suddenly turns to one of terror and uncertainty for the turtles. Will they make it through this Christmas together? Or will one fall? Mikey centric (as usual)**_

_A/N: Ach! I'm so sorry, guys, I was really hoping to get this all done by Christmas... darn real life. My new goal is to have it done by the end of the year... hopefully I can make that. Thanks so much to **Angel362, Elsiah, mav32, winged-monkey, Diamond, KleeZeeNex, asherfreak, Eridani23, **and** leavingyouforme **for all your awesome reviews - I really appreciate them! Glad you're all enjoying this, and I hope you all had a great holiday! _

_Once again, thanks to mav32 for the beta! Enjoy!_

**_Disclaimer: Still not mine! And unfortunately, Santa didn't give me 'em, either..._**

"Casey, can you get that? It's the guys, I'm sure," April asked as someone pounded on the door.

"Uh, I'm kinda tangled up at the moment, babe!" came the grunted reply.

April sighed and rolled her eyes. "Hold on, hold on, I'm coming! Just a sec!" she called the pounding resumed once again. She scraped the last cookie off the baking sheet and onto the cooling rack. Setting aside the spatula, she moved out into the living room and started to laugh.

Casey was on the floor, his hands encased in a tangle of Christmas lights, a sheepish look on his face. Still giggling, April opened the door just as Don started trying to kick it again. His foot shot up, but he quickly regained his balance and grinned at the redhead. "Merry Christmas, April!"

"Merry Christmas, Donnie. Where're the others?" April asked, taking the large box in the turtle's arms and setting it on a nearby table.

"They're coming," Don replied, shrugging off his coat. He sniffed deeply. "Man, it smells good in here!"

"That it does, my son," Splinter agreed, stepping through the doorway juggling two full glasses of milk in one hand and a jug of milk in the other.

"What's the milk for?" April inquired.

Splinter's eyes twinkled as his whiskers twitched. "Just wait for it, Miss O'Neil."

Don suddenly started laughing as he caught sight of the mess Casey was in. "Looks like you're fighting a losing battle there, Case!"

"Shaddup and help me, Tech-head," Casey growled, waving his arms violently in an attempt to free his hands.

"Ow ow! Hot, hot, hot!" a pair of voices suddenly exclaimed from the kitchen.

"Oh, no," April groaned, moving for the kitchen. She paused in the doorway, hands on her hips, a smile pulling at her lips at the sight in front of her.

Leo was juggling one of the cookies between his hands while Raph was frantically fanning his tongue, a half-eaten cookie in his other hand. "One of these Christmases you will learn, my sons," Splinter declared wryly, sliding past April and holding out the glasses of milk.

"Thankth, Thenthei," Raph lisped, grabbing a glass and downing half the glass in one gulp.

"Why would we want to break tradition?" Leo added with a wry grin, taking a bite of cookie. His eyes widened, and he took a few sips out of the other glass.

"Where's Mikey?" Don suddenly asked, walking into the kitchen, the mess of lights now in his hands. He subconsciously worked at the wires, and a strand of lights was beginning to emerge from the tangled ball.

"He had to run to the store to get some more sugar for the icing," April replied, using the cookie press to load more cookies on the tray. She paused, then looked around, a slight frown on her face. "He should've been back by now - it's not far to the store, and I've already baked three batches of cookies."

"He probably got sidetracked looking at a store display or something - you know how easily -ow - amused he is," Raph replied, wincing and shaking his hand as Splinter smacked his hand lightly when he attempted to snag another cookie.

"True… but maybe we should call him. After what happened last year…" Leo trailed off as Don nodded and pulled out his shell cell, pressing a speed dial and waiting.

They all turned as something rang in the living room. "Hey, guys, one of your phones is ringin'!" Casey called.

Leo swallowed hard and moved to the living room, dropping his half-eaten cookie on the countertop. "It's not ours," he declared, moving towards the phone.

He stopped in front of the easy chair, then reached into the couch cushions and pulled out the shell cell. It opened automatically , and Leo turned to face the rest of his family, who had gathered in the doorway of the kitchen. Silence fell as Leo clicked the phone shut.

"Should we go look for him?" Raph finally murmured. Splinter's ears twitched as he closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"Guys, do you hear that?" April suddenly cut in, moving towards a window.

They all concentrated for a moment. "Sirens," Splinter said softly from behind them.

"A lot of sirens," Don added. "And they're not far."

They all looked at each other, knowing and worried looks on each face. "C'mon," Leo declared finally, moving to grab his winter clothing.

They all raced down the street towards the sirens. "Oh, no," April breathed as they caught sight of the swarm of people and police cars outside the small store.

"We don't know for sure that Mikey was in there," Raph said half-heartedly as they started forcing their way through the crowd that had gathered.

"I don't see - Mandy!" April suddenly shouted. "Ed! Mandy!"

A woman sitting on the hood of an ambulance jerked her head up, then muttered something to the man next to her and slid down with his help. "April!" she called, rushing forward. "Let them through, let them through! I know them - she's a friend! She owns a store a couple blocks over," she urged an officer monitoring crowd control. He hesitated before finally nodding, and they quickly slipped under the barrier.

"Amanda, Ed - what's going on?" April asked.

Amanda waved helplessly behind her at the storefront. "There was a robbery. Some thieves took all the donation money and the money in the register," Ed cut in, putting his arm around her. "There was a lot of gunfire."

He suddenly paused, catching sight of the four highly bundled figures behind April and Casey. He glanced from them to April before finally looking at his wife, whose eyes had widened. "Do you know a Mikey?" she asked softly, pointing at them.

"Yes. He's our brother. Was he here?" Leo demanded, stepping forward.

The couple nodded, eyes wide. "He - he saved me," Amanda murmured, her eyes bright. "He took out the thugs."

"Where is he now?" Raph asked, his voice rough.

"He - he - the thugs. They took off. With the money. He - he went after them. They -"

"He was shot," Ed finished as his wife broke down, burying her head in his shoulder. Leo's mouth gaped open under his blue scarf, and everyone around him stiffened in shock.

"Where?" Splinter inquired fiercely.

"Left shoulder," Ed replied, his voice grim. "He wouldn't stay - he took off after the thugs when they fled."

"Do you have any idea where they are now? Any way we can track them down?" Don demanded.

The couple glanced at each other, and Ed looked back at them. "No. I'm so-"

"I heard him mutter something. Right before he left," Amanda broke in. They all focused their gazes on her. "He said something about how he needed his phone. And… I'm not entirely sure if this is right, but I think he said something about donning a tracker or something. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Don-" Leo began.

"He took a tracker," Don whispered, his eyes lighting up. "Thank you!" he shouted, turning and hurriedly forcing his way back through the crowd. Leo, Raph, and Splinter followed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" April asked, placing a hand on Amanda's shoulder, her face filled with concern for her friend.

"Yes, dear, I'm fine," the woman replied, sniffing and patting April's hand gently. "Go - help your friends. You must find Mikey."

"Don't worry - we will," Casey declared firmly, grabbing April's arm. "C'mon, babe, we gotta go help the guys."

April gave Amanda's shoulder one last squeeze and followed Casey. Together they wove their way through the throngs of people. They froze as the roar of an engine grew louder, and a moment later the Battle Shell raced around the corner. The tires squealed as the vehicle came to a quick stop. The door slid open. "Come on!" Leo urged, waving his arm violently. Casey and April jumped in, and Raph, who was at the wheel, took off again.

"I'm having a hard time getting a lock on the signal. He must be almost out of range," Don muttered as April stood behind him.

"Don? Why would Mikey take a tracker?" the redhead asked softly.

Don paused a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. "You know… that's a really good question, April. Why _would_ he have one?"

"Maybe he was thinking of last year and just wanted to be safe?" Leo suggested with a faint shrug. Don frowned in thought.

"Where am I headed, Donnie?" Raph called.

"Head east. I think he's over towards the docks."

* * *

"Oh, there's no p-place l-like home f-for the h-holidays," Mikey sang softly through chattering teeth. He shifted slightly as the truck turned again, wincing at the bulge pressing in his shoulder. He had removed his scarf and wrapped it around the wound to try and stem the bleeding, and the knot was digging into his skin.

Mikey sighed. "Why do I have to have a hero complex? That's supposed to be Leo's thing," he moaned, the tarp rustling as he moved again. "I'm the chicken, right? So why am I here?"

There was no answer other than the wind whistling past the bed of the truck.

Mikey blinked a few times, trying to clear up his slightly blurring vision. "This is so not good," he muttered under his breath, wincing as he applied more pressure. The blood flow had lessened greatly, but it still hadn't stopped completely. To top it all off, the tarp provided little protection against the cold, and the fact that his jacket was almost soaked through with blood in spots did not help to keep his temperature up to where it should be. "I sure h-hope they s-stop s-soon so I c-can k-kick their b-butts and g-go back to April's," he stammered.

The words were barely out of his mouth when the truck came to a screeching stop. Mikey hissed in pain as his body lurched a bit, but otherwise kept silent as the truck doors opened. "Grab the cash and let's get inside. It's frickin' cold out here," one complained as the doors slammed shut again. "We're going back out in thirty minutes, as soon as the others come back. Got it?"

Mikey tensed as he heard footsteps crunching closer in the snow along with murmurs of affirmation. There was some rustling as the duffel bags were yanked up from the back of the truck, but no one approached the tarp. Voices faded away, and a door opened, then closed.

Mikey waited for a few moments more before slowly pulling the tarp back. His glove crackled slightly from the frozen blood that had crusted on it. He winced and put his hand back up to the wound in his shoulder, blinking as snowflakes fell in his eyes.

A moment later, he slowly sat up, clenching his teeth as pain flared throughout his body. His eyes caught sight of the fresh tracks the robbers had made in the snow leading to the side door of a nearby warehouse. Gingerly the turtle climbed out of the truck, his boots crunching softly in the new fallen snow.

"I need a way to prevent these guys from going out again. So. Time to think. Plan A," he mused quietly as he darted behind a dumpster across from the doorway of the warehouse. "Go in there, bust the place up, risk getting shot at _again_, and take out the bad guys. With no back-up. Well… maybe if I wanna become Swiss cheese. So then. Plan B…"

He glanced around the area, and froze when he caught sight of a payphone. "Plan B. Call the cops, then go in, prevent the them from leaving, and slip away when the police come. Hmmm… better," he declared softly, moving to the telephone. He lifted the receiver up and pressed it to his ear, rolling his eyes in frustration as he slammed it back down again. "Of course. It's dead."

His eyes scanned the street again. "And no other pay phones. Great. So… plan C. Plan C… plan C… think, Mikey, c'mon. How does Leo come up with this stuff in the blink of an eye?" he wondered, moving back towards the dumpster.

He locked his gaze on the door of the warehouse. "Maybe if I sneak in, I can find a phone somewhere in there," he muttered. He blinked again as his vision whirled for a moment. Bracing himself, he took off towards the door, crouching low and staying in the shadows as much as possible. As he paused at the edge of a shadow, he suddenly froze, a smirk pulling at his lips. His eyes had spotted a fire escape on the side of the building. "Perfect," he muttered, changing direction slightly. "There must be a second floor. Hope they don't use it."

Mikey paused when he had made it under the fire escape. The ladder had broken off partway up to the first small landing, leaving the end of it eight feet off the ground. The turtle furrowed his eye ridges in concentration, crouching down in preparation for springing up. He shot up and managed to grab the rung with his right hand. He hung there for a moment, panting slightly as waves of pain radiated from his left shoulder as a result of the jarring movement. Then, with a soft grunt, he jerked his body up and landed lightly at the top of the ladder.

The turtle quickly and quietly made his way up the rest of the fire escape, coming to a stop outside the window. He paused, groaning softly as he eyed the wound in his shoulder. "Well, _this_ is an awesome present for Christmas." He shifted and tested the window, smirking when it slid open. "I should bring them something for their generosity," he added with a wicked grin, easing his way through the window and softly sliding it shut again.

He crept along the hallway, doing his best to remain silent despite his slightly squeaky boots. As Mikey moved along, he could hear the sounds of voices, both from the thieves and from a television, each steadily growing louder. He dropped down to his hands and knees when he came up to a balcony and crawled forward. His eyes widened. "Duuude… maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Down below, a few thieves had gathered on a couch around a TV. Another couple were playing pool on a beat up table. But that wasn't what had caught the turtle's attention.

In the far corner, two thieves were sorting through a large crate, gently setting box after box of ammunition on the floor, next to the largest pile of automatics Mikey had ever seen. "Speed it up, meatheads," the leader growled. "We need to ship those two boxes back out tomorrow, or the Dragons will have our heads!"

Mikey's eyes narrowed. "These guys supply weapons to the Purple Dragons?" he hissed softly, easing his right hand under his coat to grab at one of the nunchucks tucked away in his belt. "Time to put this operation down, then!"

Suddenly white hot pain flared through his body, and every muscle contracted painfully as current shot through him, leaving him unable to move. The nunchuck dropped with a thud from his fingers, and he felt a hand turn him over. He stared up into the leering face of the thug who had shot him back at the store. "You just don't know when to stop, do you?" he sneered, twirling the taser in his fingers. "Say goodnight!" he added, bringing down his fist into Mikey's face, bringing the pain to an abrupt halt as his world went black.

_A/N: And now... I take my brief leave! Thanks for reading, and as always, reviews are highly encouraged - I would love to fill my e-stocking with them! Thanks!_

_moogsthewriter_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Summary: What was supposed to be a pleasant Christmas Eve with family and friends suddenly turns to one of terror and uncertainty for the turtles. Will they make it through this Christmas together? Or will one fall? Mikey centric (as usual)**_

_A/N: So apparently I can never make goals for myself, as real life likes to get in the way. Unfortunately, I had some health issues that came up shortly after posting the last chapter, and by the time I got all straightened out, school had started up again. But I'm doing much better, and I have the last part here for you! Thanks so much for your patience, and your reviews - special thanks to **Puldoh, Dbkit, Gohanzgirl, Silvernight180, panda1418, tentenxnejiluva, TMNTgrl, Dark-Kaomi, leavingyouforme, MikeyPhreak, Elsiah, Eridani23, KleeZeeNex, Dark Fox Tailz, guest, **and **Diamond** for all your great reviews. I do believe 16 reviews is the highest amount I've ever recieved for one chapter, so thank you! (Note to **Dark Fox Tailz** - you make a very good point. If I had thought about it beforehand, I would have tried to have one with Leatherhead in it. Unfortunately, I couldn't see a plausible way to work him into this one. But I will definitely keep him in mind for future fics - the poor guy does get left out a lot, doesn't he?) _

_So, despite the fact that most everyone probably has their Christmas decorations all put away... I present you with the last of my Christmas fic! (And there's still a lot of snow outside my window... so I can pretend, right?) Thanks to mav for the beta, as well. Any and all mistakes are mine. And I don't own them. _

_Oh, and there is one swear word in here - just to warn you!_

_Enjoy!_

"We're coming up on it," Don declared grimly as Raph guided the Battle Shell around another corner. The air in the vehicle was thick with tension.

"I don't see anything," April commented, peering out of the window over Leo's shoulder at the dim street. It was dusk, and the streetlights hadn't kicked on yet. The lack of light and the still-falling snow cast everything into a seeming haze.

"Something tells me most people wouldn't be out in this weather on Christmas Eve," Leo replied tersely, absentmindedly fiddling with the ends of his scarf.

"Raph, stop!" Don suddenly cried. The brakes squealed as Raph brought the vehicle to a sudden stop, then swiftly parked in a nearby alley. Don unbuckled himself from his seat and moved to the front. "He's in that warehouse," he stated softly, pointing at a large building ahead and to their right.

"Then let's go check it out!" Raph exclaimed, lurching out of his seat.

"Caution, my son," Splinter warned, loosely clenching the sleeve of his coat. Raph growled under his breath, but paused. "We don't know what we're coming up against."

"No offense, Sensei, but we don't have much time – Mikey's been shot," Raph protested.

Splinter's ears twitched slightly. "I know, my son. And one son with a wound is one too many. We must be cautious so that Michelangelo will remain the only one wounded."

"We need to find a way in," Leo declared, peering out the window again. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the façade of the building. "Fire escape," he hissed, pointing.

They all tensed as something suddenly beeped frantically. Don looked over his shoulder at the computer. "Donnie? What's up?" Casey asked.

"I'm not sure…" Don replied distractedly as he slid back into his seat. The keys clicked softly for a moment before he froze. "The signal's gone."

There was silence at the grim announcement. "What does that mean?" Raph asked finally, his voice slightly croaky.

"Nothing good, that's for sure," Don declared grimly, typing a few more keystrokes. "As near as I can tell, there was some kind of electrical surge that caused the tracker to short out."

"What would cause that?" Leo inquired as they all shifted to gather around Don.

Don shrugged. "He could be by some kind of powerful generator. The tracker's pretty sensitive around electrical impulses. It's really hard to say – there are a number of possibilities."

"In any case, we need to get in there and check it out," Raph declared, socking his gloved fist into his other hand.

"Uh, guys? We've got a big problem," Casey suddenly called. "Emphasis on the _big_."

They whirled to see the vigilante staring out at the street. "What?" April asked, moving to peer over his shoulder. Her eyes widened as Leo and Raph both growled behind her. "Oh no."

Ahead of them, they could see the tail end of a limousine parked in front of the warehouse. But they weren't as interested in the limo as they were in gigantic figure stepping out of it. "Hun," Raph hissed as the thug stood to his full height. "What's he doing here?"

"Whatever the reason, things just got ten times worse," Leo declared as Hun entered into the warehouse. "We have _got_ to get Mikey out of there."

They turned as the side door suddenly slid open. "Let us move," Splinter ordered softly, jumping softly out into the snow. The others quickly moved after him.

Leo blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes as the streetlights suddenly flickered on. He darted after Splinter, who was quickly moving from shadow to shadow across the street, his agility belying his years. They paused when he suddenly halted in the shadow of a large dumpster, his snout in the air, sniffing.

"Guys!" Raph suddenly hissed, pointing down at the snow.

Leo felt his breath freeze in his throat when his eyes caught sight of what Raph was looking at. A light dusting of snow hadn't quite covered up the large, congealed drop of blood that had fallen in a boot print – a boot print that looked nearly identical to the ones he, Raph, and Don were leaving in the snow. "Mikey," he whispered, kneeling to finger the blood, hearing April's stifled gasp. The crimson liquid was thick, cold, and gooey.

"Let us move," Splinter repeated, darting toward the fire escape. They followed quickly. Leo swallowed hard when he caught sight of a few more drops of blood in the snow.

"Mikey must've gone in the same way," Don whispered from behind him.

Soon Leo was sliding the window down after Casey climbed through. They could hear lots of excited voices off to their left, and as they crept along, the words became clearer.

"-Just lucky I came along today to handle this. You nearly screwed this up, Ice."

"But, Master Hun, sir, I didn't know he was one of 'em, I swear! He was just at the store buyin' some stuff! How was I s'posed t' know dem freaks go grocery shoppin'?" And he's out cold now – I coulda taken care of him!"

They all froze at that, looking at each other with wide eyes. "Never underestimate these freaks, Ice," Hun growled. There was the muffled sound of something being kicked. "They live to cause me problems, apparently. And where there's one, the others are bound to follow."

They dropped down and moved forward, peering over the edge of a balcony. Raph swallowed when he saw blood smeared next to his hand. His eyes quickly moved forward, and his breath caught in his chest when he looked out at the floor below them.

A small group of about ten thugs were gathered around Hun and the apparent leader of the group. Raph couldn't see Mikey's face, but he could see the orange of his jacket on the floor, as well as his sprawled legs. Hun had his orange hat clenched in a meaty fist, rage and frustration evident on his face. "The last thing I need is to have my supply of weapons interrupted. Do you understand me?" the giant continued, glaring at Ice. The thug nodded, eyes wide beneath his spiky black hair.

Raph's head shot to the side so he could look at Leo and Splinter, his eyes practically screaming, _Let's take 'em!_ Next to him, he could feel the tension radiating from Casey. On the other side of Splinter, Don and April were frantically scanning the floor below them, each looking rather worried.

Splinter bowed his head for a brief moment before leaning over slightly to murmur something in Leo's ear. The blue-clad turtle nodded, his eyes shooting up to scan the ceiling. He scooted backwards so he could kneel out of sight and pulled a shuriken from a pocket inside his coat. He paused to glance at them all, his face grim and determined, before throwing the star at a thick wire overhead.

Below, Hun's head jerked up when he heard the soft whistle of the metal flying through the air. He opened his mouth to say something when the shuriken collided with the wire. The room was plunged into relative darkness as sparks shot out from the wire, and voices cried out in shock. With a roar, Raph leapt over the railing first, landing lightly on the floor below as he unzipped his jacket and pulled out his _sai_.

He lashed out at the first vague shape he could see, squinting as sparks continued to rain down every few seconds from the wire. Within seconds, sounds of weapons clashing and fists reaching their mark echoed around them. "Donnie! Get to Mikey!" Leo ordered, his twin _katana_ reflecting the light of the sparks.

The purple-clad turtle nodded, even though the others couldn't really see it, and he made his way over to where he had last seen Mikey sprawled on the ground. He misjudged the distance slightly, though, and stumbled over a pair of legs. In the flickering light, he saw a glimpse of orange and immediately knelt down next to his brother. "Mikey? Mikey?" he hissed, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

He jumped as a loud bang echoed through the room. "Whoa!" Casey cried loudly. "That barely missed my ear!"

A moment later, Don heard the familiar _shing_ of a _katana_ slicing through metal. Don focused back on Mikey, yanking off his gloves and moving Mikey's coat to feel for a pulse on his wrist. Time seemed to freeze for a moment when he felt nothing. Then he suddenly felt a faint movement beneath his fingers, and he practically wilted with relief. The pulse was weak, but it was there. "Mikey?" he called again, running his hands lightly up Mikey's coat on the left side, trying to feel the wound.

"D-Donnie?"

"Hey, bro," Don replied. "We're here to get you out."

"Good," Mikey breathed. He hissed and tensed as Don's fingers found the wound in his shoulder. "Some Christmas, huh?"

"Yeah, this is becoming a regular thing with you, isn't it?" Don answered, trying and failing to keep the worry out of his voice. He could feel the blood-soaked scarf Mikey had wrapped around his shoulder. There was a lot of blood, and in the flickering darkness, he couldn't tell if it had stopped. Even if it had… it could have been because Mikey had lost so much blood already.

"At least I learned my lesson. I was prepared this year, right?" Mikey whispered weakly, his eyes sliding shut for a moment. "What with the tracker and all – came in handy, right?"

"Yeah, bro – you did good. C'mon, let's get you up," Don declared, grabbing his brother's uninjured arm and draping it across his shoulders as he rocked back on his heels, preparing to stand straight.

"Donnie!" the younger hissed urgently.

Don's eyes widened when he suddenly sensed a looming presence behind him. "And what do you think you're doing, freak?" Hun growled, latching his meaty hands on Don's shoulders, effectively pinning Mikey's arm. Don heard his brother hiss in pain as Hun started lifting them up.

"Back off!" a high-pitched voice suddenly exclaimed. There was the hollow _thunk_ of a heavy object hitting its mark, and a moment later, the grip on the purple-clad turtle's shoulders slackened. Don hurriedly moved out of the way, pulling Mikey with him despite the yelps of pain, as the giant sank to his knees, moaning and clutching his head. The white-blue light from the sparks reflected dimly off the varnish of the baseball bat in April's hands. Don was dimly aware of a new reddish-orange glow casting light on the situation, but he was too stunned by the sight in front of him to figure out the implications at the moment.

The redhead tensed her body as she prepared to strike again. She yelped in surprise when the bat was caught in a meaty hand and jerked out of her grip. "Let's see if you can handle what you dish out," Hun snarled, raising the bat over his head. April stared up in terror, rooted to the spot.

Suddenly a blur of orange moved in front of the woman. "Back off," Mikey snarled, the crack in his voice mildly negating the sternness of the command. He thrust his hand forward, and Hun's body went rigid, a loud, strangled cry echoing from the back of his throat as his limbs twitched slightly. After a moment more, the gang leader toppled backwards, remaining motionless after he hit the ground with a gigantic _thud_.

The resounding thud caused everyone else to freeze in their positions. Then a thin, gangly thug squealed in fright. "Fire!"

Everyone turned and saw that the old sofa had caught flame from the sparks still falling from overhead. Flames lapped at the concrete floor, threatening to jump over to the entertainment center. "Let's get outta here!" another thug cried, and with that, those who were still conscious and able to move scrambled towards the doorway.

The footsteps nearly drowned out a faint moan and the sound of a plastic-coated object clattering to the floor. "Mikey!" Don exclaimed, rushing forward as the orange-clad turtle dropped to his knees. He looped an arm around Mikey's shoulders and slowly eased him back to the ground.

"What did he do to Hun?" Raph wondered as the rest of the Hamato clan gathered around them.

"Taser," Mikey groaned weakly. His eyes flicked up to April's. "You okay?"

April laughed shakily. "I don't think I'm the one you need to worry about, Mike. But yeah – I'm fine."

Mikey smiled faintly. "Good," he whispered as his eyes slid shut. His head lolled back limply over Don's arm.

"Mikey? Mikey!" Don exclaimed, pressing his trembling fingers against Mikey's neck, feeling for a pulse. After a heart-stopping moment, he felt it again – the faint, rapid beating of his brother's heart. It seemed almost fainter than before. "We've gotta get him out of here."

"Need I remind y'all of our other little problem?" Casey added nervously as the cackle of the fire grew steadily louder.

"Mister Jones is correct," Splinter said softly. "And there is a large pile of munitions we must worry about as well."

"Raph, help me out here," Don ordered, waving his brother. Raph nodded tensely as he knelt down on Mikey's other side, gently scooping the youngest turtle into a bridal carry as Don tried to keep Mikey's shoulder as immobile as possible.

"Don, what about…" Leo trailed off as Don glanced up sharply.

"The warehouse's sprinkler system should kick in right about –" Suddenly a mist fell down on them. "Now," Don finished wryly.

They all paused as Hun groaned from behind them, the water slowly reviving him. Other groans echoed from the few remaining thugs sprawled on the ground. "This way, my sons, before we must fight again. We cannot afford to tarry," Splinter urged, heading for the door as smoke began filling the room.

"April, can you go get the Battle Shell?" Leo urged. The redhead nodded and sprinted out the door.

The others hung around the doorway nervously as smoke streamed out past them, eyeing the unconscious turtle in Raph's arms. Suddenly Leo's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of something. "Donnie, what's this?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft, as he pointed at a burn mark on the side of Mikey's neck.

Don moved so he could examine the mark. His eyes widened, then narrowed in anger. "It's gotta be from that taser."

"They tased him?" Raph asked angrily.

"That must've been what knocked out the tracker," Don replied, his voice taut.

"You freaks won't be going anywhere!" a deep voice suddenly growled behind them. They whirled to see Hun staggering towards them through the smoke, his face twisted in anger, pain flashing in his eyes.

Leo, Splinter, Don, and Casey quickly moved in front of Raph and Mikey. "Don't even think about it, Hun," Casey growled fiercely, yanking his mask back down over his face and tapping a hockey stick in his hand.

Hun smirked and charged at them with a yell. Leo risked a glance over his shoulder and saw the lights of the Battle Shell blaze out from the alley as April started the vehicle up. "Raph, get Mikey out of here!" he ordered as the others charged before leaping into the fray himself.

Don leapt up as Hun swung his fist, twisting his own body to put as much force behind his _bo_ as possible. The wood smacked loudly off Hun's shoulder, but it didn't seem to faze the giant. A split second later, Leo kicked at the man's knee. Hun stumbled, but managed to glance a blow to Leo's head, sending the blue-clad turtle crashing to the floor. "Leo!" Don exclaimed, moving to pull his brother out of harm's way as Hun prepared to strike again.

Splinter was suddenly there, rapidly kicking the Dragon in the chest, driving him back. "You have caused enough problems for one night!" the elderly rat exclaimed, water from the sprinkler systems dripping off his whiskers as he drove Hun further into the warehouse. With a final kick, the giant toppled again, narrowly missing a thug who was attempting to crawl out.

"DONNIE!"

They all whirled at the sound of panic in Raph's voice. The red-clad turtle was inside the van, bent over the motionless form of his brother. He twisted his body so he could look at them. "HE STOPPED BREATHING!" he bellowed, his face filled with terror, before turning back to Mikey.

With a soft cry, Don rushed forward, scrambling into the van, the others hot on his tail. Raph had pulled off his coat and gloves, and was bent over Mikey, trying to force air into his brother's lungs. "C'mon, bro, breathe!" the typically hot-headed turtle begged, tears pricking at his eyes as he gently pressed down on Mikey's plastron, forcing the air back out.

Don quickly moved and grabbed Mikey's wrist. His face blanched. "I don't have a pulse!" he exclaimed.

"Damnit, Mikey, don't do this! It's Christmas Eve, for shell's sake!" Raph cried harshly, balling his hands into fists and slamming them down onto his brother's plastron, trying to get his brother's heart started again.

There was a ragged choking sound, and Mikey suddenly began breathing again, gasping feebly for air. Don almost felt a faint breeze at the collective sigh of relief that echoed through the vehicle. "April, head for the lair," Leo croaked, his shoulders slumping forward. He glanced up as Splinter laid a reassuring hand softly on his shoulder and was faintly surprised to see tears pricking at the sensei's eyes.

"He's gonna need at least one transfusion, maybe a couple," Don declared grimly as he slowly removed the blood-soaked scarf wrapped around Mikey's shoulder.

"I'll do it," Raph and Leo volunteered immediately.

"I figured you would," Don said with a small smile. "Casey, help me roll him up on his side a sec."

The vigilante gently slid his hands under Mikey's shell next to Don's hands, and together they rolled Mikey up on his right side. "Raph, get his coat off. Cut the sleeve – I don't want to move his arm if I can help it."

Raph pulled out a _sai_ and obeyed silently, wincing as Mikey moaned suddenly as he peeled the bloody jacket away. He cursed softly as blood suddenly seeped out of a twin hole in the back of Mikey's shoulder.

"I was afraid of that. Leo, I need your scarf," Don said, holding out his hand. Leo immediately removed the deep blue scarf hanging around his neck and handed it to his brainy brother. Don folded it up and pressed it against the wound. "Ease him back slowly, Case," he ordered. "His weight should keep pressure on it."

"Will he survive, Donatello?" Splinter asked softly as Casey and Don slowly lowered Mikey back down.

Don yanked his own scarf from around his neck, using his bloodied hands to press the fabric against the entrance would tightly. "I can't say for sure at the moment, Sensei," he finally murmured, feeling all of their gazes on him, even April's as she drove, eyeing him in the rearview mirror. "Having an exit wound means he lost a lot more blood, but it also means I won't have to go in there and dig around for a bullet." He sighed, looking up at his brothers, tears tracking down his cheeks as he made eye contact with them. "But he's lost so much blood…"

"He'll pull through, Donnie," Leo said firmly, moving so he could place an arm around his brother's shoulders. "He's too stubborn to quit, and we won't let him go."

* * *

The first thing he became aware of was the faint scent of Christmas cookies in the air. _Oh, crap. I never did finish those cookies. I hope April did – that's a lot of dough to go to waste,_ he thought dimly. _Dude, Raph'll probably kill me, too, since I didn't have the cookies ready. Hope he didn't break my presents…_

He tried to move, but paused as fire raced from his shoulder. He tried but failed to keep a small moan from escaping his throat. Over the pulsing heartbeat in his ears, he heard someone moving. "Mikey?" a familiar voice called softly.

"D-Donnie?" he croaked, struggling to force his eyes open. When did his eyelids start weighing twenty pounds each?

"Hey, bro," Don replied with a smile as Mikey's blue eyes finally slid open. The younger turtle blinked a few times, trying to bring his brother's face into focus. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I got mauled by a Triceraton," Mikey replied with a groan, his eyes flickering around and taking in his surroundings. His gaze froze when he spotted two figures on a nearby chair.

Raph was asleep, his head and shoulders resting on the edge of Mikey's bed. Klunk was curled up into a tiny ball, resting in the hollow on the back of Raph's neck. Don followed Mikey's shocked gaze and smiled faintly. "He hardly moved since we got you back here."

Mikey blinked at that. "Huh? How long have I been out?" he asked.

Don paused. "Three days," he declared finally.

Mikey blinked again. "I missed _Christmas_?" he exclaimed finally, his voice croaky as he lurched forward. He cried out softly as pain exploded from his shoulder again. Raph jerked awake with a start, sending a disgruntled Klunk sliding onto Mikey's bed with a soft _thump_.

"Whoa, easy, bro," Don cautioned as he gently pushed Mikey back down. "We really don't need you tearing any stitches."

"Mikey!" Raph exclaimed, blinking several times as he stared at his brother.

Mikey grinned despite his pain. "Dude, you need to get some sleep, bro. Your eyes are about as red as your mask."

Raph's bloodshot eyes narrowed. "Don't you ever do that again!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Mikey looked at him in confusion as Klunk mewled. "Do what?" he asked, absentmindedly scratching the cat behind the ears.

"Raph," Don warned when Raph's mouth flew open furiously. "We almost lost you a couple times, bro," he said gently to Mikey.

"Three times, Mikey. You stopped breathing three frickin' times," Raph added with a snarl.

Mikey blinked. "M'sorry," he mumbled, trying to melt back into his pillows.

"It ain't your fault, bro," Raph said more gently, his face softening.

"Mikey?" Leo called, suddenly appearing in the doorway. A grin broke out on his face when he locked eyes with his brother. "Mikey!"

"Hey, Leo. Merry belated Christmas, apparently," Mikey answered with a grin.

"Glad to have you back, my son," Splinter suddenly declared, appearing behind Leo.

"Mikey's awake?" Casey called. "Does that mean we can finally eat those cookies and open presents?"

"Casey!" April exclaimed indignantly as the pair slid into the room after Leo and Splinter.

"You mean you guys waited for me? Really?" Mikey asked in astonishment as they all gathered around him, looking happy and excited.

"Well, yeah, ya doofus," Raph declared, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Ya can't open presents or eat cookies without the whole family."

Mikey grinned. "Well, then, can we open presents? I wanna see what I got!"

"Mikey, you should probably rest some more. You're still not recovered," Don said.

"Aw, c'mon, Donnie – it's Christmas! Give a guy a break! Please?" Mikey begged, looking at his brother with large eyes, doing his best to suppress a yawn.

Don eyed him knowingly. "You're about ready to fall asleep right now, bro," he declared.

"Am… not," Mikey replied through a large yawn. When they all eyed him, he admitted, "Okay, so maybe I am."

"Get some sleep, my son. We will not open presents without you," Splinter said gently, patting Mikey's leg underneath all the blankets. Mikey smiled, his eyes sliding shut again.

"Though I can't guarantee the cookies will still be around," Casey added with a smirk, making Mikey's eyes fly open once more.

"Don't worry, Mike. I'll make some just for you," April promised, smacking Casey in the shoulder.

"Ow, babe! That hurt!"

"You really need to toughen up, Jones."

"Guys, shaddup! Let him sleep!"

"Raph, you're not one to talk – you've hardly slept at all the past few days."

"You aren't much better, Fearless – I know you haven't been sleeping either."

"Guys, if you don't shut up, I will kick you out physically."

"And I will assist him if need be, my sons. Let Michelangelo rest."

Mikey smiled faintly as sleep pulled at his mind once more. _There really is no place like home for Christmas,_ he thought vaguely. As he drifted off, he heard a CD playing faintly from the kitchen, underlying the soft arguments flicking back and forth over his head.

_I'll be home for Christmas.  
__You can count on me…_

_A/N: And that's that! Once again, thanks so much for reading and reviewing - I really do appreciate your comments. I hope you all have a safe and happy year, and we'll see you later!_

_Namárië! (Farewell!)_

_moogsthewriter_


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